Iraq war vet leads a aviation battalion

National Guard officer takes command of 450-member unit

By Terry Brown, Duty Calls

Published 9:52 pm, Sunday, September 18, 2016

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Lt. Col. Todd Bookless

Lt. Col. Todd Bookless

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New York Army National Guard
New York Army National Guard Lt. Col. Chris Kellerman receives his new rank from his wife Valerie as Brig. Gen. Raymond Shields looks on during promotion ceremonies in Latham.

New York Army National Guard
New York Army National Guard Lt. Col. Chris Kellerman receives his new rank from his wife Valerie as Brig. Gen. Raymond Shields looks on during promotion ceremonies in Latham.

Iraq war vet leads a aviation battalion

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New York Army National Guard Lt. Col. Todd Bookless of Greenwich, an Iraq war veteran, took command of the 642nd Aviation Support Battalion during a ceremony at Fort Indiantown Gap in Pennsylvania.

He leads the 450-member battalion, which has elements in Rochester, Dunkirk, Olean, Ronkonkoma and Brooklyn. His personnel provide maintenance and logistics support to the New York Army National Guard's 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade, headquartered in Latham.

Bookless has served in the Army since 1994 and joined the New York Army National Guard in 2002. Along with serving in Iraq in 2005 on the staff of the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade, he deployed to Kuwait in 2012 and 2013 with the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

As a civilian, Bookless is a vice president at the Royal Bank of Scotland.

He is qualified to fly UH-1 "Huey" helicopters and the OH-58 Kiowa helicopters.

While in the army he served as a platoon leader in the 24th Infantry Division and an assistant operations officer in the 3rd Infantry Division. He also was a logistics officer and helicopter cavalry troop commander in the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas.

In 2015-16 he served as the officer in charge of a team from the 42nd Infantry Division, which deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to assist the Joint Task Force responsible for the detention facilities there. Bookless served as the deputy director of the task force's joint operations section.

A graduate of the Army's Combined Arms & Services Staff School, the Command and General Staff College, he earned a Meritorious Service Medal, a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, an Air Medal, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, a Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, the Army Aviator Badge, the Parachutist Badge and the Air Assault Badge.

His military service began in 1988 when he enlisted in the Idaho Army National Guard. He was commissioned as an officer from the Army ROTC program in 1993 and transferred to the New York Army National Guard in 1995.

Kellerman has served in a variety of positions including commander of the 29th Personnel Services Detachment, truck platoon leader, personnel and logistics staff officer at the brigade and battalion level, logistics plans and policy officer for the New York National Guard's Joint Force Headquarters and logistics plans officer for the 42nd Infantry Division.

He deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 and 2013 where he served as senior adviser to the Afghan National Army's Support Operations officers and as the logistics training and advisory team officer in charge for the Afghan National Army and Afghan police in nine provinces.

Kellerman earned a bachelor of science degree from the University at Buffalo and is a graduate of the Command and General Staff Officers School. He has earned a Joint Service Commendation Medal and an Army Achievement Medal.

Future leader

Cadet Benjamin Steven Schiher of Burnt Hills has completed six weeks of Cadet Basic Training at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Schiher entered West Point on June 27. The initial military training program provides cadets with basic skills to instill discipline, pride, cohesion, confidence and a sense of duty to prepare them for entry into the Corps of Cadets.